Automobile accidents are traumatic on multiple levels, even if they do not require the victims to be immediately hospitalized. Even days later, someone who has been in an accident can experience excruciating pain in the neck, back, and other joints even if they walked away from the accident feeling fine.
Once the adrenaline abates immediately following the accident, the victim is left with the tissue damage and alignment issues that an auto injury can bring. This is why it is incredibly important to see a specialist, especially a chiropractor, after a bad auto accident.
What happens to the body in a car accident
While some injuries after an auto accident are obvious and felt immediately, some pains take days to develop. Microtears in muscles, ligaments, and tendons evade detection on x-rays or initial examination.
The whiplash that can occur during an auto accident is caused by the components of the musculoskeletal system in the neck being pushed beyond their normal limits and becoming misaligned, resulting in these microtears. While the tears themselves can result in pain, it is usually a result of the inflammation that follows the tears, putting stress on the nerves in the area.
How can Chiropractic adjustments aid in pain relief after an accident
Chiropractic adjustments have plenty of practical benefits after an auto accident because the alignment of the body’s bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments has such a deep impact on overall health.
These benefits are primarily found in the following areas:
- Inflammation reduction- Since a good bit of the pain after an accident is from inflammation; it stands to reason that therapies that address the inflammation would provide relief.
Once the body is put back into balance, the resulting inflammation subsides, and the nerves in the are able to experience relief.
- Minimizing scar tissue- If the parts of the body with the microtears and poor alignment are not moved properly in a therapeutic fashion following the accident, the scar tissue can prevent further healing and freeze the patient in a state of pain.
A chiropractic adjustment carefully exercises the affected areas, encouraging them through movement to resolve the damage without the resulting scar tissue.
- Misalignment- If joints become misaligned, several issues arise, including impingement of nerves, slipped discs, and bulges within cartilage in the vertebrae. IF left unaddressed, these types of damage can cause chronic, debilitating pain.
A proper chiropractic adjustment can help these elements restore themselves to the proper alignment, relieving the stress on the components of the joint and the surrounding nerve tissue.
- Restore freedom of movement and flexibility- Anyone who has suffered back pain from “throwing your back out: knows that even the tiniest movement can send waves of immobilizing pain through your body, and the same can be said for neck injuries.
Muscle relaxers and medicine may provide temporary relief, but only for the symptoms, not the root cause. To truly be free from pain, the body must regain its balance.
Since the benefits of chiropractic care depend on the patient receiving treatment before scar tissue forms and before the tissue damage becomes worse from the poor alignment, it is important to seek care as soon after the accident as possible.